One of the coolest things about my new job is that I see leadership in action every day. That, by the way, is leadership in action, not leadership inaction though, sadly, I get to see some of that from time-to-time as well. Every day, I interact with people of all stripes including young, seasonal firefighters; highly trained and experienced pros; senior leaders, career politicians and citizen legislators; representatives of local, state, and federal government; the citizens we serve; as well as contractors and vendors. For a leadership junkie like me, it is a target rich environment. I get to see people influencing and attempting to influence one another every day; and all I have to do is look around me to learn about leadership.
On the day I wrote this column my staff and I brainstormed a list of possible group facilitators for our end-of-season, programmatic after-action-review. We were looking for what one might consider a pretty unique skill-set: people with facilitative skills, who are not fire and aviation subject-matter experts, but understand fire and aviation well enough to facilitate discussions effectively and efficiently. However, in a matter of minutes we established a list of about 20 people we were all enthusiastic about, reminding me of how lucky we are to have such a talented workforce. Later, thinking about the pool of potential facilitators put me in a reflective mood, and I soon found my thoughts drifting to other people and situations I had recently encountered and what I had learned from them.
Many Wildfire readers have heard the famous quote by actor, filmmaker, comedian, playwright, and musician Woody Allen that “Eighty percent of life is showing up.” Along that line, I noticed recently that people appreciate relatively small acts of engagement by senior leaders, like taking time to attend a meeting or training session at which they would not be expected, or participating in a worker’s role. When people react very positively to such a small gesture, I sometimes think “What’s the big deal? That’s what they should be doing,” but then I remember that Woody Allen quote. Sometimes showing up gets you 80% there. Effective leaders show up and they engage in meaningful ways, and when they do, people think that is pretty special.
This may sound odd but, when in a group, when I can, I have been observing people observing people. I often look for the influential leaders, both formal and informal; the people that others listen to and take their ques from. As I watch people listen to a speaker, receive a briefing, or otherwise listen as someone tries to influence them, I watch their faces; try, as best I can, to interpret their body language; and gauge their apparent level of engagement.
Try this sometime. I find that observing would-be leaders and potential followers in action helps me understand who connects with other people, how, and why. Plus, I find I can sometimes gain insight into which way a group will ultimately go, or not go, on a decision.
Recently, I was reminded that many people confuse individual achievement with leadership. Leadership is a process of influence that occurs between people — not one in which aspiring leaders compete with the very people they expect to lead, apparently believing or hoping that they can inspire others via their own breathtaking wonderfulness. In fact, I grow weary of hearing people refer to excellent, individual performers as “leaders in their field” or some similar accolade. Please understand: I am fully aware of the potential of leading by example; I believe strongly that leaders must serve as role models; and I know that individual ability contributes to the credibility one must have to lead.
Leading by example works, but not when individual achievement by would-be leaders comes at the expense of the team. Despite plenty of popular leadership publications and training suggesting otherwise, in my experience, the most effective work units are not those in which the leader primarily motivates others through their personal awesomeness, but the most effective work units are those in which the leader prizes their obligation to help others succeed and make others look good.
That said, I have also had recent opportunity to observe and admire the leadership of a few people who do lead largely by example — who get things done despite their lack of prominent position, assigned authority, or a big title. They show up, work hard, observe the people around them and gain situational awareness, meet people where they are at rather than where they wish they were, and use their personal credibility as hardworking and committed subject matter experts to encourage others to accomplish big things. Those people remind me every day that one does not need a powerful position or authority granted by the organization to lead.
These days, many fire people think of themselves as “students of leadership,” and that is obviously a good thing on many levels. However, one can effectively study leadership in a lot of ways. I suggest that, rather than reading yet one more book about an adventurer, former president, or general, we take a look around the living leadership laboratory in which we find ourselves every day. All you have to do is look around you to learn about leadership.
BIO
Mike DeGrosky is Chief of the Fire and Aviation Management Bureau for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Division of Forestry, and Adjunct Instructor of the Year for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at
Fort Hays State University, where he has been teaching for the Department of Leadership Studies for 10 years. Follow Mike on Twitter @guidegroup or via LinkedIn.
